The Times They Are A' Changing
Though the world of television is fast moving with shows and characters coming and going with increasing frequency, there are some cosy spots on our television screens that seem to just stay the same. Whilst fans adore the fresh new antics of the latest signings to their favourite soaps, they also love the security blanket of having their favourite characters always there, providing reassurance and a friendly word.
With this in mind, who would have imagined just a year ago that Erinsborough and Summer Bay would be loosing two of their most loved and respected residents? As you might have guessed I’m talking about the departures of Ian Smith (Harold Bishop) and Kate Ritchie (Sally Fletcher) who between them have clocked up an incredible 37 years on our television screens. With both characters already off Aussie screens, British viewers should brace themselves for imminent heartfelt goodbyes and be prepared to shed a secret tear or two… Fans of Harold can take some comfort in the knowledge that Ian Smith has already agreed to come back for a few guest appearances over the next few years.
But it’s now just the departure of some familiar faces that is rocking the world of Aussie soap. As regular visitors to this website will already know, there is also a new Australian soap on the way to BBC1. Out of the Blue is part-financed by the BBC and seems set to bring a bit of Sydney sunshine into the UK’s daytime schedules. At 2.10pm weekdays, we’ll get the chance to meet a whole new cast of 30somethings and also get the chance to reacquaint ourselves with a few familiar faces. Stars include recent Home and Away guest stars Kim Knuckey (Sergeant McGrath) and Charlotte Gregg (Charity from the creepy Believers cult) as well as Noel Hodda and Diane Craig (E Street’s David & Elly Fielding). Long-time Aussie soap fans will particular enjoy the return of Maggie Dence to British TV screens – she is better known as Dorothy Burke from Neighbours and Rose from The Sullivans.
With 130 episodes guaranteed we have a minimum of six months worth of episodes to lap up. This show is so new it’s getting its world premiere on BBC1 - it won’t be shown in Australia until later in the year. If you want to find out more, take a look at the Australian section of this website for all the details. And also look out for a special podcast about the show by Soap Show host Ian and myself – it’ll be available on April 28th the day that Out of the Blue makes its debut.
Turning our eyes to the Antipodes, recent weeks have seen many new Aussie dramas make their debut. This year has already seen the debut of controversial crime drama Underbelly, medical mystery series Canal Road and the start of a second series of the incredibly popular Sea Patrol. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has also got in on the act with two new series with similar themes – in both shows the central character returns to their hometown after a long spell away and has to get used to living there all over again. In East of Everything Richard Roxburgh gets to confront his past whilst in the upcoming Bed of Roses Kerry Armstrong gets to give it a go. It’s certainly surprising that series with such similar themes were scheduled to begin on the same channel less than two months apart, however I have been assured that both are significantly different in approach and that storylines soon move in totally different directions. East of Everything has already been renewed for a second series and features guest roles for Neighbours’ Fletcher Humphrys and Home and Away’s Mouche Phillips (any long-term fans remember Viv Newton?)
And for those of you who like to know these things here is a little bit of casting news for Neighbours fans….Scott Major (who was the first actor to play Darren Stark before Todd McDonald took over the role) is rejoining the show as Daniel Fitzgerald’s brother Lucas. If that isn’t enough to make fans look twice, they’ll certainly do a double take when Roger Oakley turns up as Steve and Ned’s father Jim Parker. He is better remembered as Tom Fletcher in Home & Away, a role he recently reprised for one episode.
Well that’s all for this time – drop me a line and let me know what you think about Aussie TV dramas!
